plain town of ancient origins

Walking through the art, the history
and the eno-gastronomic excellences along
the Navigli territory
Project
Players
Water: humus of territories
Thematic routes
Agriculture and wellness
The great monuments
Agroindustrial
the project
Background and aims of the Project are so simple to seem obvious:
1. for a little less than a thousand years for the Naviglio Grande, and for nearly six
hundred years for the Naviglio di Bereguardo and the Naviglio Martesana, the
water of these canals has been used for agriculture and to transport goods and
people, that is, for the economic development of the territory . Even today, the
water of the Navigli is contributing to make their territory as an area of
excellence in the Food sector and is a key asset in the tourist development of
the Navigli system
2. the historical “appeal” of the Navigli, for the footprint that Leonardo da Vinci left,
for the great cultural heritage that represent in themselves and which exist in
the adjacent areas, for the excellence of their food production and for the
fruition in recreational and environmental offering, will be one of the strengths
for Expo 2015, and increasingly forward
3. aim of the project is therefore to develop a complete tourist offer which starting
from the Navigli can enhance the excellence of the territory: rice, milk
derivatives, sausages and the wines of San Colombano and the Oltrepò
Pavese adjacent to the Navigli System the offer will be proposed as:
•naturalistic routes,
•eno-gastronomic routes,
•historical and cultural routes (Leonardo da Vinci, castles, abbeys and so on)
•wellness routes (spas, cycling, canoing, running)
•workshops about the culture of food and wine
those offers will be available by boat, by bike, on foot …
locations and players
PROJECT PROMOTERS are:
Navigli Lombardi, Coldiretti Milano Lodi Monza Brianza, Coldiretti Pavia, Chamber of Commerce of Milan, Chamber of
Commerce and Pavia
Many local institutions are and will be involved (such as Lombardy Region, Milan City Council, the Municipality of
Abbiategrasso ...) and, among the goals, there is also the involvement of local communities and people working in the food
industry.
The routes will be developed among the south of Milan, the Lomellina and the Oltrepò with epicenters in Milan (Darsena) and
Pavia (the Visconti Castle, close to the Naviglio Pavese).
Castelletto di Abbiategrasso , where the Naviglio Grande gives life to the Naviglio di Bereguardo (there is a new landing for
tourist boaters and a related tourist information point), and Palazzo Stampa (exactly facing the landing) will be the hub of the
itineraries, which will seat workshops and discussions / insights on crops and wine and other issues in the food industry,
dedicated to events, but also a permanent high knowledge and tasting of local products
Water: humus of
territories
the Navigli area
In 1773, the Naviglio di Paderno, for which Leonardo himself
carried out a specific study, was added to the Naviglio Grande,
Naviglio Martesana and Naviglio di Bereguardo, and in 1819,
after more than two centuries of troubled works, Naviglio Pavese
was opened.
The part of the Navigli system more traditionally linked to
agriculture, as much as it is even today, is the area in the
southern part of the Naviglio Grande (between Naviglio Pavese
and Naviglio Bereguardo), where the Po Valley begins leaving
from the foothills of the Alps.
In Vigevano, western side (passing the River Ticino) of the
Naviglio di Bereguardo and few chilometers from Abbiategrasso
going to south-west, you can find the Cascina Sforzesca
Leonardo and water for agriculture
Leonardo arrived in Milan in 1482, after introducing himself to
Ludovico il Moro with a letter in which he describes his ductility
and giving particular emphasis to his capabilities in the design of
defenses and war machines. But the letter does not fail to
mention his being “hydraulic engineer” and he writes
In fact, "(...) credo satisfare benissimo ad paragone de omni altro
in architectura, in compositione de aedificii et publici et privati, et
in conducer aqua da uno loco ad uno altro - I can give perfect
satisfaction compared to any other in architecture and in the
composition of public and private buildings and furthermore
carrying water from one site to one another."
And it is what he will make in Lomellina, in the Sforzesca farm,
realizing an irrigation system that still works and makes the area
a territory dedicated to products of excellence, especially in the
rice-growing
good par excellence
An “excellence” ... that takes shape with the unrivaled quality of RICE and
with the refinement of the “risotto”
An “excellence” ... that reflects an ancient art in the WINE making, refined
till the point of expressing wines full of nuances and intensity
An “excellence” ... that dots a gastronomic firmament of
products, all constituting an unique and rich tradition
TYPICAL
Palazzo Stampa
why Palazzo Stampa is an asset
Because geographically is situated in a strategic point for our project and, along the canals network, it is the
place where we really can realize an intermodal site, boat&bike, during the Expo (we will try elsewhere, but with a
completely different logic based only on the weekend user).
Because, the site has already been restored through subsequent interventions and is ready to be used: you can
furnish it strictly fitting the needs of the project and furthermore transforming the ground floor as a place for high
tasting and the first floor as an exhibition space and info point about eno-gastronomy, for the Expo period and
probably beyond
thematic routes
from the asset Palazzo Stampa…
The Darsena in Milan and the Visconti Castle in Pavia are the natural terminals of all these routes. Many of Expo
tourists, likely, will leave from there and it is, therefore, necessary to foresee a promotional and logistic presence
there.
The third point of this “triangle” is just Castelletto di Abbiategrasso with Palazzo Stampa, with a function that
partly resembles an ancient "trading post": they really existed and functioned even on the canals network, but
here, it will also feature a permanent exhibition for the entire EXPO period for those who want to know better our
food chain.
Rice routes
Wine routes
Navigli
more partners will be involved in the
management of these itineraries:
•local firms
•agritourism farms
•educational farms
•main stakeholders of the territories
Leonardo’s routes
different kind of tourist offer
Thematic routes will obviously be geared to a promotion which will focus mainly on primary agricultural and
gastronomic peculiarities of the territories (rice, wine and typical products), however the tourist offer will include
much more: to diversify in order to embrace the widest range of possible tourism demand
With this regard, the proposals range could include at the same time:
• Tasting Points
• Events to promote of historical sites related to the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci (Abbiategrasso, Caggiano,
Sforza, Pavia, Milan)
• Events on the historical and artistic value of the abbeys (Morimondo, Certosa di Pavia)
• promotion of the rich historical, cultural and artistic heritage present in a large number of manors, castles and
fortresses along the area
• promotion of environmental assets which connect the context of canals (primarily their navigation) and the
stages of thematic routes along the cycle paths, the parks and wildlife sanctuaries
• Open workshops about the Culture of Agriculture and Wellness
lands of rice and risotto
number one in Europe for quantity, number in the world for quality
A simple look at the physical representation of Lombardy can make people understand why the Lomellina and
the area south of Milan have led Lombardy to be the European region that produces more rice ….. and rice of
absolute excellence.
The goal is obviously to let an international audience discover the ancient knowledge of a culinary tradition built
over the centuries, still present daily in Lombard and Italian meals:
saffron risotto, risotto with sausage, ...
the Sforzesca and Leonardo’s landscape
At Sforzesca farmstead Leonardo worked for a year first studying the existing waterways and secondly designing
and realizing a large work for reclamation and irrigation of the land. Unfortunately today the Sforzesca is in a
state of decay and not so enchanting like in the past years, but the charm of this place frequented by Leonardo
makes itself worth to be visited. So, it is undeniable to spend some time to visit the Sforzesca within a journey
that celebrates local agriculture and products in the supply chain besides including the Piazza Ducale in
Vigevano in the route.
Cascina Sforzesca
Wine lands
The nectar of Gods made by the Lombards
Not far from Navigli there is an area devoted to the wines of absolute excellence: the Oltrepò Pavese with the
addition of San Colombano, the only Milanese garrison for wine production. The Oltrepò Pavese binds the culture
of the homonymous wine to other typical local products such as Salame di Varzi, the tasty Pavese bacon, the
Cotechino (kind of spiced Italian sausage). Land of villages, fortresses and castles: the wine route (which will
exalt the proposals of the "wine district") may combine the knowledge of the productions with the historical and
naturalistic visits to the hilly bunting.
Wine production of the Oltrepò Pavese with
geographical indication is divided into:
- 1 Docg
- 7 Doc
from the grapes that overlook the lands of Navigli
DOCG
• Oltrepò Pavese Metodo Classico
DOC
• Bonarda dell'Oltrepò Pavese
• Buttafuoco dell'Oltrepò Pavese
• Casteggio
• Oltrepò Pavese
• Oltrepò Pavese Pinot grigio
• Pinot nero dell'Oltrepò Pavese
• Sangue di Giuda dell'Oltrepò Pavese
• San Colombano al Lambro
IGT Provincia di Pavia
• Barbera
• Croatina
• Riesling
• Cortese
• Moscato
• Malvasia
• Pinot nero o Pinot noir
• Pinot grigio
• Chardonnay
• Sauvignon
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Dolcetto
• Freisa
• Vespolina o Ughetta di Canneto
• Uva Rara
• Muller Thurgau
• Merlot
• Nebbiolo
typical products
… other typical products from the lands of Navigli
A very wide range of products of the dairy supply chain DOP labeled and typical vegetables and salami.
Below an exemplifying list of certain typical products or dishes that tourists can discover during our thematic
routes, tasting them surrounded by a very suggestive contest that evoke the ancient traditions and the philosophy
of agricultural production called “km zero” :
•
•
•
•
•
the goose salami from Mortara
the gorgonzola cheese from Ozzero
the cassoeula
…
…
agriculture and
wellness
agriculture and wellness
Agriculture means also environment quality and preservation of
nature: these are essential basis for wellness culture.
This is the culture of SPA in Pavia and Milan provinces. In
some country town such as Salice, Miradolo and Rivanazzano
you can do SPA treatments such as:
warm water, hydrotherapy, mud masks and massotherapy for a
natural medicine that exploits the properties of the land
minerals and sources, treatments for the detoxification and the
strengthening of the body thus achieving the mental and
physical balance.
Any type of water (sulfur, salt, ferruginous or bitumen) has a
specific action more and more specific and satisfying thanks to
new techniques and scientific knowledge acquired in SPA.
Furthermore, over 70 km of cycling paths along the Navigli and
the possibility to canoeing and kayaking on the Naviglio di
Bereguardo assure healthy physical activity useful also for
those who will choose our gourmet routes.
The great monuments
dove poter visitare abbazie, castelli e rocche
Abbiategrasso (MI),
Belgioioso (PV),
Bernate Ticino (MI),
Binasco (MI),
Borgo Priolo (PV),
Buccinasco (MI),
Casei Gerola (PV),
Chignolo Po (PV),
Cozzo (PV),
Cusago (MI),
Fortunago (PV),
Gambolò (PV),
Lomello (PV),
Mede (PV),
Montalto Pavese (PV),
Montebello della Battaglia (PV),
Montesegale (PV),
Mornico Losana (PV),
Olevano di Lomellina (PV),
Rozzano (MI),
Sant’Alberto di Butrio (PV)
Sartirana Lomellina (PV),
Turbigo (MI),
Valle Lomellina (PV),
Varzi – Oramala (PV),
Vigevano (PV),
Voghera (PV),
Zavattarello (PV),
CATELLO VISCONTEO DI PAVIA
CASTELLO SFORZESCO DI MILANO
agroindustrial
the great tastes of these lands
SOUTH MILAN
Gorgonzola cheese
LOMELLINA
Rice
Goose salami
Cotechino (a spiced Italian sausage)
MILANO
OZZERO
VIGEVANO
MORTARA
PAVIA
STRADELLA
VOGHERA
OLTREPO PAVESE
Wine
Salami from Varzi
Bacon
the great tastes of these lands
Gorgonzola: raw table cheese, made with full -cream cow's milk, rennet and salt. In a compact crust, rough and tough reddish in color. The cheese
is buttery and creamy with the presence of small grains (marbled) due to the development of mold which determines its unique taste. There are two
types of Gorgonzola: the "sweet", creamy and with modest presence of mold, and the "hot" more seasoned and consistent, characterized by diffuse
grains. The name derives from the Lombard town having the same name near which, due to the error of an unknown cowherd, this cheese is said
to be born back in the twelfth century. According to legend, a curd was forgotten in a corner then recovered the day after and combined to the new
curd.
Rice: Oryza, its real name, began to be cultivated in Lombardy and in northern Italy only with the families of the Sforza, Gonzaga and in Veneto
with the duke of Ferrara. This happened especially where the rivers had a water potential, so Verona with the Adige, the Navigli canals around
Milan and everywhere around the Po River. Today "paddy of Europe" is Italy with approximately 220 thousand hectares cultivated; we are the
undisputed worldwide leader in high-quality rice destined for great gastronomy dishes: Carnaroli, Vialone, Baldo, Rome, Sant'Andrea.
Goose salami: the Lomellina is, since the Middle Ages, a goose farming zone. The need to preserve meat has pushed farmers to produce salami and ham, until
today with craftsmanship. A third of the goose salami is made of goose lean meat with the addition of pork meat and fat, chopped in equal proportions. The
sausage is made in goose bumps, previously cropped and placed in salt. It can also be used for a snack served with mustard and sweet and sour sauces
accompanied by a soft and aromatic white wine.
Cotechino: it is a sausage produced since ancient times. It was born as a poor sausage: in the past it was usually eaten with vegetables soup. It was
made by lard and sausages producers. The first official mention of this sausage goes back up to 1745.
Wine: the hills of Oltrepò are the third area in Italy for the number of hectares in vines, and the first wine basin of Lombardy (here it is produced 55%
of the wine of the region). Due to soil and climate peculiarities, the grapes reach excellent levels of ripeness, turning into wines both lively and able to
support remarkable aging with the contribution of wood in winemaking.
Bacon: Pavia bacon, called in the local dialect "Panséta”, is a typical salami of the province of Pavia obtained by salting and curing the fat layer
located in the ventral part of the side of the pork. The Pavia bacon has a soft consistency and a deep red color at the center, rather than white
outward. Its scent is characteristic, while its flavor is mild and slightly spicy.
Salami from Varzi: it is obtained using selected pig meat . The meat is minced, flavored with a filtered infusion of garlic and red wine and once
blended evenly, stuffed into natural bowel. This cylindrical salami is cut at an angle to obtain oblong slices. The interior is deep red in color with white
fat; the texture is firm and the flavor, initially sweet, becomes more savory, complex and persistent.
OZZERO – plain town of ancient origins
San Siro Church
The parish church of San Siro is ancient, almost a thousand
years, although its present appearance dates back to the times
of Cardinal Carlo Borromeo. Inside, there are some of the
frescoes of 1400 and a Madonna with Jesus child by
Leonardesque ways, a copy of the Madonna with Saint Anne
that is now at Louvre. The design of the tower is by Luigi
Cagnola.
Villa Bianchi Calvi
Palace already mentioned in 1034 in the will of Archbishop
Aribert d'Intimiano. Located on a hill in a dominant position
over the village, in the past it was a fifteenth-century castle of
the Visconti origin. In fact its structure shows quadrangular
fortifications. Later on when it lost its original defensive
purpose it became a residential palace in the Baroque style.
Palazzo Cagnola
In this building the Cagnola family began to stay in 1600, well before the
Marquis Louis (1762-1833) switched to the history of architecture for his work
in civil construction in Milan (Porta Ticinese, the Arco della Pace) and in
Vienna. Particularly noteworthy is the large courtyard, dominated by an
octagonal tower called "Torre spagnola." Currently Cagnola palace is the seat
of the Town Hall.
.
Palazzo Barzizza
The Barzizza Palace is a building of Renaissance origins. Its first construction dates back to the
fourteenth century and was later rebuilt in the seventeenth. The building had the honor of hosting
the Duchess Bona of Savoy, wife of the Duke Galeazzo Maria Sforza and the mother of Giovanni
Galeazzo Maria. In recent restoration works a large sandstone fireplace has been recovered
ornamented with friezes in bas-relief and bearing the coats of arms of the families on the pediment;
on laterally there are faces of the Lords represented in medallions made in the ancient Romans
way. In the external porch were recovered some frescoes bearing a date1624.
ABBIATEGRASSO – plain town og ancient origins
Visconti Castle
The castle was built in 1277 for Ottone Visconti. Renovation
began in 1381 under
Filippo Maria Visconti and further
embellishments were introduced under the Sforzas and Ludovico
il Moro until it became a classic example of a lowlands castle.
Surrounded by a moat, the castle is laid out around a central
quadrangular courtyard, originally with four towers linked by twostorey constructions.
The irregular courtyard still retains the gothic arcades that bounded it. All that remains of the
four towers today is the one on the north-eastern side. In the centuries that followed,
especially under Spanish rule, some parts of the complex were dismantled. The most
interesting part of the building is the eastern side: ancient battlements, double lancet
windows, a 13th century arcade and the Visconti symbol of the snake. Inside there are still
traces of the ancient frescoes. The castle is currently undergoing careful restoration and is
home to the Civic Library and some exhibition spaces.
Ex – Convent of the Annunciata
This complex was commissioned by Galeazzo Maria Sforza to fulfill a vow made in 1466. It was finished in 1472
and the church was consacrated with the name "Santa Maria Annunziata" in 1477. The church and convent were
granted to the Order of the Frati Minori Osservanti, a confraternity that lived according to the teachings of St.
Bernardino. In 1810 the convent was dissolved and became home to the male section of the hospice Ospedale
degli Incurabili di Abbiategrasso. On the right of the church the entrance arch opens into the first courtyard
overlooked by an imposing two-storey structure which was a residence, a building constructed at the turn of the
last century to house the laundry and dormitory as well as the most recent part which dates back to the 1950s.
Two passages with a cross vault lead to the second courtyard. There is a double portico around three sides of
the courtyard and, on the side beside the church, the friars' cemetery. On the north side of the complex there is
the single nave church which had a fresco on the facade of the Annunciation and on either side of the great arch
there were two chapels.
Palazzo Stampa
Situated along the towpath of the Naviglio Grande near the junction with the Naviglio di Bereguardo, this is an architectural and
historical complex of the highest order and saw secret meeting between patriots and central figures of the movement for Italian
unification. There is no precise date for the construction of the palace but the first written documentation dates back to 1697 when it is
mentioned in the last will and testament of Sacerdote Giuseppe who most likely built the palace. It was constructed for the wealthy
Milanese family the Cittadini who were already landowners in the area as far back as the 15th century. They went into a long period of
decline however, and in 1751, they decided to sell part of the complex. In 1792, with the death of Giovanni Cittadini, they lost ownership
of the rest of the property. The palace and its gardens were bought in 1835 by Giuliano Baronio, the husband of a descendent of the
Visconti family, and was inherited by the daughter and her husband, the famous patriot Gaspare Stampa. He lived here until his death in
1874. Since then the building has been in public ownership and passed to E.C.A (Milan Municipal Welfare Institution) which divided it
into apartments and property later passed to the local authority of Abbiategrasso.
BOFFALORA SOPRA TICINO – plain town of ancient origins
Villa Calderari
The villa was donated to the Parish by Count
Calderari in 1938 and was used as the premises
for the preschool and parish youth club or
oratorio. There is a cedar deodara in the park
which is a registered monument tree of Italy. The
building is horseshoe-shaped and the central part
is higher with a three-arch portico. The aspect is
also of particular interest in relation to the town.
Two divergent roads line up with the centre of the
entrance courtyard and the palace itself serves
as a vanishing point.
El Barchett
El Barchett is one of those typical institutions of the Milan area. In the second half of the 18th century
the ferry service el Barchett de Boffalora was a convenient means of transport between Milan,
Abbiategrasso and Magenta. From 1777 onward it was managed by Giuseppe Castiglioni and
Partners, boatmen from Boffalora, who organised such an efficient service that it was in use up until
1913, the year in which the policy of Giolittian modernisation led to its closure. The Barchett operated
all year round and employed three people, two on board and one on land, whose job it was to drive
the horses who towed the barge from the bank. Then there was the fairytale figure of the “Torototela”
a singer-storyteller who played an odd instrument made out of a piece of string pulled taut over a scraped-out pumpkin that acted as a
sound box. It was he who collected the ticket money from the passengers. An icon of how Milan once was, the Barchett was also
mentioned in literature and in the theatre. It is described by Paolo Valera in his book “Gli scamiciati” in 1879 and the four-act play called
“El Barchett de Boffalora” written by Cletto Arrighi, the Milanese poet of the Scapigliatura school. A reconstruction of the Barchett made
by the association La Piarda is anchored near the bridge.
Church of Madonna della Neve
The church is located above the eastern shore of the Naviglio, rising from the portico, with capitals
similar to those in the charterhouse the Certosa di Pavia. Inside there are paintings with Stories of
Saint Francis by the brothers Fiammenghini. The church was built to the design of an architect of
the Fabbrica del Duomo in Milan.
ROBECCHETTO CON INDUNO – plain town of ancient origins
Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
Built between 1842 and 1846 to a design by the architect
Aluisetti. The paintings and decorations were executed in
1907, the artwork by Davide Beghè (1854-1933) and the
plasterwork by Costantino Andreani of Milan. The main
altar is made of white Carrara marble. The statue of the
Virgin dates back to the late 18th century. The altar of the
Virgin is in the Neoclassical style and made of botticino
marble while the altar of Sant'Anna is made of Viggiù
marble. In the 1930s the belfry was restored and raised
so that the sound of the bells could be heard by the
inhabitants of the entire valley.
Padregnana Bridge
A stone bridge on the Naviglio Grande built in 1604, the date engraved in the centre of the beam on the
upstream side. On the right of the bridge lies the historic Cascina Padregnana, with a votive fresco on the
front depicting the crucifixion. A cycle path starts here that leads to the town of Robecchetto and crosses
another ancient settlement, the village of Padregnano, founded around the year 1100 by Fruttuariensi
monks. All that remains of the ancient convent is the entrance arch and the chapel of San Nicola.
Church of San Bernardo
Built in 1845 when the old church was abandoned The marble altar of the Madonna del Rosario, created
by Bartolomeo Torretta di Milano, dates back to 1854 and the altar of Sant'Antonio was built in 1857.
The church was decorated in 1924 by the Roman painter Ciserna with the help of Raffaele Solmonte and
Giuseppe Marcovic. The two angels on the altar were purchased in 1915; the monstrance with a
sunburst pattern, based on a design by Ciserna, was first placed on the main altar, then, by order of
Cardinal Schuster, moved to a side chapel. Casterna also painted the Stations of the Cross which are
still in the church today.
Church of San Vittore
Situated in the cemetery of Robecchetto, this church was once the parish church. It has a gable front and
archive documents speak of 17th century paintings and decorations carried out by Gio.Batta Fagnani,
hidden and preserved beneath the plaster. On the north side there is a cannonball and the date 3rd June
1859 to commemorate the battle that took place here between the French and Austrians.
CASSINETTA DI LUGAGNANO – plain town of ancient origins
Villa Visconti
The origins of the villa certainly go back very far in time.
The lands were already property of the Viscontis in
1392. The building is now H-shaped and has three
storeys with a NW-SE axis along the Naviglio to which
the building turns its side and not the front facade The
double garden is on two levels: the first, Italianate, ends
with a central niche in front of which it seems plays
performed, while the second in the English Romantic style, was designed by Balzaretto
in 1850 and consists of a large central lawn with trees and an amphitheatre. The area to
the rear was planted as an orchard. The chapel has two distinct spaces, one for the
public which opens onto the road and the other with the altar. Although the architect is
unknown, the frescoes are by Ferrario (1728). On the south-west side there are
residential and farm buildings known as casa da massaro and casa da pigionante). The
villa can be rented for events, weddings and conventions.
Cascina Piatti
The villa has a long and chequered
history as it passed from the Piatti
family to its current owners the
Negris. The farm in located within
two park reserves, the Ticino and
the Parco Agricolo Sud di Milano.
The farmhouse is one of four historic
settlements that make up the current
district of Cassinetta, nowadays a
Ticino Park info point with different
activities: cereal corps, direct sale,
farmhouse accomodation, country
walks,
bicycles,
educational
activities, "Botanical walks" – guided
tour to learn more about vegetables
and rediscover or remember the
scents, colours and flavours of days
gone by.
Church of Sant’Antonio Abate
From the bridge on the Naviglio
the
parish
church
of
Sant'Antonio Abate is clearly
visible. In 1435 it was built for
Maffiolo who can be considered
to have founded Cassinetta; it
was rebuilt in 1731.
Villa Negri
Villa Negri Is a sumptuous 18th century villa situated to the
southeast of Cassinetta, along the Naviglio Grande. Property of the
Negri family from the second half of the 19th century; built in 1761
for the Austrian General Dembowsky. In 1875 Gaetano Negri, the
Mayor of Milan, himself a native of Cassinetta di Lugagnano,
purchased the villa and neighbouring Cascina Piatti. The villa was
initially used as a summer holiday home for his family, and only in
1935, when restoration work was completed, did it become the
residence of the Negri family. The Villa, horseshoe-shaped with the two wings open out onto the
garden which the central block overlooks, is typical of the style of the summer residence of the
end of the 18th century. Currently in private hands, the villa can be visited in spring and summer
or rented for events, weddings and conventions.
GAGGIANO – plain town of ancient origins
Madonna del Dosso
Chapel situated among the fields of the farms
Cascina Baitana and Cascina Cantalupo on
the hilltop of the Dosso. Inside, the roof is
wooden and at the apex there is a little
cement cross. A painting above the altar is of
the Annunciation, probably an imitation of an
older painting that was there before it. There
is also an extremely recent fresco (1987) with
an image that is popular in the tradition of the
Dosso area: the Madonna nursing the baby
wrapped in a black cloak instead of the usual
pinks and blues of religious imagery.
Church of Sant’Invenzo
The church dedicated to Sant'Invenzio, bishop of
Pavia, was built in 1573 and looks out over the
Naviglio Grande. The Baroque facade is divided up
by lesenes and has four niches with statues while the
interior is richly decorated with frescoes and
plasterwork. The belfry, designed by the engineer
Ercole Turati, dates back to 1606. Some years later,
in 1630, the terrible plague which struck Milan and the
surrounding towns miraculously missed the little town
of Gaggiano. As a token of their gratitude, the
townspeople erected a column in the square in the
Tuscan style surmounted by a cross. The church was
later extended between 1757 and 1758 with the
addition of the two side chapels dedicated to
Sant'Antonio and San Giuseppe. Inside the church
there is also a statue of the Madonna delle Grazie in
commemoration of the protection received during the 1630 epidemic. An unknown artist
painted the glorification of Sant'Invenzio on the vault, a work of considerable artistic
value.
Lago Boscaccio
The complex consists of Boscaccio Lake and
Farm (overall area about 85 hectares). The
lake is an artificial basin which has been
rehabilitated (35 hectares). It has a particularly
rich bird and fish population (about 180
species of bird nest around the lake). The area
has been identified as a repopulation and
capture area (hunting prohibited) and is a bird
ring-marking station (managed by the Milan branch of the Lombardy Ornithological
Group Gruppo Ornitologico Lombardo). The waters of the lake are home to many
native species of fish and have a high clarity level (11 m clarity in the studies carried
out in April). A path runs along the perimeter of the lake. The farm Cascina Boscaccio
is located on the shore, a typical Lombard farm with a closed yard which dates back
to the 18th century and its dedicated to San Materno (with original foundations from
the 11th century).
ASSAGO – plain town of ancient origins
Church of San Desiderio
The church dates back to the 13th
century and was transformed in
the 15th century and still retains
many features of the period even
though it was raised and made
longer in the 18th century. It
contains 15th century frescoes
(The Nativity and Madonna with
Child, San Sebastiano and San
Rocco, San Antonio, patron of the
churches of the town).
Cascina Villa Borromeo
It was in the 18th century in Assago that what is known as Villa
Borromeo was built between via dei Caduti and piazza
Risorgimento. It was the master's house of a vast farming
settlement which included the cascina Castello farm complex,
located in the historic centre of the town and now home to the
Library and Nuovo Centro Civico as well as the cascina
Cortegrande, which is no longer a farm since the 1970s when work
began on the residential complex "La Grande" in via Matteotti.
"Villa Borromeo" now houses the offices of the Town Hall.
ZIBIDO SAN GIACOMO – plain town of ancient origins
Cascina Salterio
Located in Moirago, in front of the fourth lock on
the Naviglio Pavese, this farm is a perfect
example of a typical lowlands settlement. The site
was of a convent in the 14th century and there is a
wide entrance with a garden to the rear. The
complex consists of the owner's house with its
courtyard and garden, the farmer's house, the
labourers' houses, and the Storehouse (where
farm produce was kept) as well as the stables.
Church of San Giacomo
The parish church of San Giacomo, in the main piazza by the Town Hall, is the main artistic and
architectural feature in the town. The church has a central nave and two side aisles and a large
octagonal tyburium. It dates back to the 12th century and was restructured in the 15th century. It
contains works by the Carthusian schools and two figures of the saints, discovered in 1974 and
attributed to the pupils of Bernardino Luini. In front of the church there is a stone sarcophagus which
bears witness to the existence of an earlier community. Local legend says that it contains the
remains of San Giacomo which Sant'Eustorgio was taking from Constantinople to Milan in the year
512.
Cascina Santa Marta
This farm complex has a closed courtyard in the 19th century style and
looks like a fortified farmhouse of the Middle Ages with a tower with
battlements at the entrance. The layout is typical of Lombard farmyards
with the buildings arranged around two interconnected courtyards apart
from one building located outside. These building covered a multitude of
functions, providing a home for the owners and the families of the farm
labourers, quarters for the livestock (stables and pigsties), storage areas and barns, and areas for processing farm produce (dairy,
drying room) and for maintenance of farm vehicles (smithy). The architectural style is sober using humble materials and the exteriors
inside the courtyards are very simple. Since 1996 the Cooperativa Santa Marta runs the farm and visitors can buy produce such as
rice, pasta, honey, confectionary, sauces and jams.
MARCALLO CON CASONE – plain town of ancient origins
Villa Maggioni
It represents the most interesting architectonic
complex consisting of two parts: the first, built
on a XVI century structure horseshoe shaped
whose noble part overlooking the main square
of Marcallo, the second part was built in
eighteenth century, and combined with a lower
construction apart the existing building.
The structure was built by the Maggioni family,
but the seventeenth century part of the complex was later varied concerning its
shapes while the eighteenth century part retains its original appearance even if it
has lost over time its decorations.
Parich church of the Saints Nazaro and Celso
The original church of San Nazzaro (XIII century) was structured with a single hall with small semicircular apse
and vaults on the wooden roof. Changes occurred in the fifteenth century led to the extension of the church
towards west and the addition of an aisle on the left of the nave where small chapels were placed. In the '500 the
baptismal font and the altar of St. Michael were added and the façade was altered. In 1740 the church was rebuilt:
the apse with the choir, a large presbytery and four side chapels (two per side) were added.
In 1904 an apse with the choir, a large presbytery and four chapels were added; in 1931 the bell-tower with eight bells was built. The
withe-grey facade is divided horizontaly in three fillet: the lower is decorated with pilasters; the middle is marked by stone slabs with
lunettes in the center; the top with triangular gable closed from the roof pitches. The church has an organ by Prestinari brothers craftman’s
and a picture gallery enriched over the centuries with paintings by Procaccini, some seventeenth century work of art and a remarkable
cycle of frescoes of the chapel of San Michele.
Villa Jacini
The construction has two octagonal towers and high defensive walls. It was built by the family
Crivelli. The villa and the adjacent guesthouse, adapted with the function of summer residence of the
Counts Jacini, includes a central residential complex with the kitchen and the reception rooms, while
the bedrooms and private apartments are situated on the first floor. Many of the ceilings are painted
and in front of the villa there is a large wooded park with old trees. Currently in private hands, the
villa is being restructured to create new apartments in the villa and in two new buildings that will be
built where previously there were rural buildings.
SANTO STEFANO TICINO – plain town of ancient origins
Church of Santo Stefano
Church dedicated to the patron saint of the town that gives its name to the municipality. It
was built for the need to extend the previous parish church. The new building was
designed by Villa and its construction began in 1902 under the direction of master builder
Sartorio and finished in 1907. The interior is marked by a resumption of the neoclassical
style not entirely pure, with a breakdown of the space into three naves with ten columns.
The baroque style altar dates back to the eighteenth century, and comes from the
previous parish church that stood in Piazza Pertini. The bell tower, on the right side of the
structure, was built in 1927, shortly after adorned with five bells.
MORTARA – plain town of ancient origins
Sant’Albino Abbey
Church-abbey founded in the fifth century. The history of
the abbey remains inextricably linked to the battle fought
in its immediate vicinity in 773 between the Longobards
and the Frankish army of Charlemagne and merges with
the legendary exploits of two francs paladins called Amico
(Amis) and Amelio (Amelie), squires of Charlemagne, that
died during that battle. Of them it is said that, although
they were buried in two separate niches, they were found
in the same tomb. On the walls you can see engravings of
pilgrims and the oldest date yet readable dates back to
1100.
San Lorenzo Basilica
Built in Gothic-Lombard style between 1375 and 1380 by Bernardino da Novara and then
restored in 1840 and subsequently in 1916, the outside has a brick façade while the interior is
rich in works of art, especially paintings by Paolo da Brescia, replaced by nineteenth-century
copies, while the originals are preserved in the Savoy Gallery in Turin; a canvas attributed to
Gaudenzio Ferrari; various paintings by Bernardino Lanino; an altarpiece by Cerano and a
remarkable crib wooden sculptures by Lorenzo da Mortara.
Shrine of Madonna del Campo
The existence of the building has been documented since 1145; traces of the original structure
are preserved in the columns of the lantern and in some parts of the masonry.
The church facade recalls the Lombard-Gothic style typical of Lomellina. The interior has a
single nave with a simple but striking elegance. Eight niches serve as chapels, with frescoes of
various eras including the Madonna of the Rosary with St. Rocco and St. Domenico dated
fifteenth century and a Pietà by Cerano.
VIGEVANO – plain town of ancient origins
Visconti Castle
A real castle begins to be built starting in 1341 at the
behest of Luchino Visconti. The castle was enlarged
and embellished in subsequent decades, especially
with the work of Ludovico Maria Sforza, known as il
Moro, who commissioned Bramante to the renovation
project, expanding it and transforming it from an
ancient fortress rich in ducal seat.
Bramante planned over the Loggia delle Dame and
the Falconiera also the final part of the Tower “Torre
del Bramante”
Piazza Ducale
It was commissioned by Ludovico il Moro who demolished the old huts around the castle. The
construction started in 1493, based on a design by an architect of the Bramante school and just
finished a year later. Some experts have suggested that the project was produced by Leonardo
da Vinci. Impressive are the round arches, supported by elegant columns that run on three sides
of the large rectangle, 134 meters long and 50 wide. The square is enclosed on one side by the
facade of the Duomo, curious for its concave shape, drawn by a Spanish architect bishop in 1680:
Juan de Lobkowitz Caramuel
Mora Bassa Mill
This building, commissioned by Ludovico il Moro, presents some architectural features that
recall the enormous skills and knowledge of Leonardo da Vinci who lived in those years at the
Sforza court.
The emotion of this site is also given by the room of the meetings between Ludovico il Moro and
Cecilia Gallerani, "The Lady with an Ermine" painted by Leonardo and where the legend says
that the spirits of the two lovers are still present.
Outside, the Mill has a large garden, partially occupied by a path-laboratory for the study of the
measurement systems for irrigation.
MEDE – plain town of ancient origins
San Giuliani Castle
The building, of some importance in the Middle Ages, is a
mempory of the castle of Mede. It is not possible to
reconstruct today precisely the building installation. In the
walls are still visible several arched windows (some
occluded). Significant is the base of the embankment of the
construction, mirror of its military origin. Under the gutter
pipes appears the typical decorative band with notched brick
that characterizes the fortifications of the pavese area. The
northern facade also shows a sign of the presence of a
tower originally embattled.
Church of the Confraternita della Santissima Trinità
The Temple, known as the Church of the Santissima Trinità, was a place of worship and stop for passing
pilgrims who were housed in two buildings behind the choir. The facade is in sixteenth century style, while the
bell tower is baroque. When founded it consisted of a tall and slender nave: it was enlarged in 1864, with the
addition of two aisles. In 1929, on the occasion of the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress, restoration took place
inside and on the facade which was later repainted in 1967/68 by the prior Camillo Masinari , who entrusted
Erminio Tondi with the task of restoring the great fresco that adorns the gable.
Parich church of San Marziano and San Martino
Church degli Angeli
Formerly dedicated to St. Francis, then dedicated to SS.
Sacramento, San Michele and the Angels, belonged to the convent of
Santa Marta, founded in 1581. Above the facade of the church there
is a fresco of St. Michael, a copy of a painting by Guido Reni.
The nave is flanked by three chapels
on each side. The apse opens wide
with
a
fresco
depicting
the
Assumption surrounded by angels
and symbolic figures. The original
was painted by Guglielmo Caccia,
known as Moncalvo (c. XVII) restored
in 1864 by the painter Paolo Maggi
Sannazzaro.
The parish church, dedicated to
Saints Marziano and Martino,
whose plan dates back to the
fourteenth century, was built on a
previous pagan temple. The bell
tower, 63 m high with a square
base of 5.50 m wide, was built in
the early twentieth century. Bells
were renovated with six moulded
bronzes. Each bell has a title and
a supplication craved on: San Marziano, San Martino,
Sacro Cuore, Vergine Immacolata, San Siro e San
Giuseppe.
VOGHERA – plain town of ancient origins
Cavalry Memorial
Superb example of Romanesque art in Oltrepò
Pavese, has within it, walled up on the walls, the
coats-of-arms of the 30 regiments which, at the
time of its greatest expansion, comprised the
Arma di Cavalleria, Squadrone Sardo and
Coloniali and furthermore those of the Armored
Cavalry of the last war.
In recent years the coats-of-arms of the Air Cavalry Regiments have been
added to, while the Reggimenti Carristi (Tank Corps Regiments) are still in
progress, specialty inserted in the Arma di Cavalleria only in 1999.
Duomo di San Lorenzo Martire
The Cathedral of the Lombard city was rebuilt in the early years of the seventeenth century
according to the plans made by the Bolognese architect Antonio Maria Corbetta. Only towards
the end of the nineteenth century, however, the statement was completed designed by the
architect Carlo Macciachini. Internally, the plant has three naves crowned by an imposing
dome in the center.
Particularly valuable is the fresco decoration depicting the Madonna del Soccorso in 1496
attributed to a certain Andrino of Edesia kept in the altar of the Cappella del Soccorso. Of
particular interest the nineteenth-century organ and, kept in the sacristy, the precious
vestments given as a gift by St. Pius V in 1571.
Visconti Castle
The Visconti Castle is a fortified structure particularly striking. Some sources believe that
the castle was built in the period between 888 and 950. Considered one of the most
robust strongholds of the Oltrepò, it was further reinforced by the will of the two mayor of
Voghera in 1330 and later became the home of Galeazzo Visconti in 1372.
Later, on the initiative of Galeazzo II Visconti, the castle underwent for a further
expansion in 1361 and other changes to counter the intent of conquest of the Marquis of
Monferrato. Subsequently, over the centuries, it became the residence of several noble
families, among them the Sforza and the Gonzaga families.
Recently restored, It’s now a site for cultural events.
STRADELLA – hill town of roman origins
Civic Tower
The tower is the only remains of the castle from
the late Middle Ages, suffered much damage
during the Napoleonic era and was destroyed in
1845. The plant is squared and at the top there is
placed an ornament with battlements and
embrasures, probably added in the fifteenth
century, while the belfry is the nineteenth-century
Basilica of San Marcello in Montalino
The church of San Marcello, an excellent example of Romanesque architecture, was built
over an earlier church dating back to the XI century. It consists entirely of brick and
sandstone (typical of the area). The front has the characteristic shape of Romanesque and
includes two single hut. The structure is divided into three naves and includes the main
apse. Missing the apse of the right side because it has been replaced with the base of the
bell tower more recently built. Inside you can see frescoes dated 1300 depicting religious
scenes.
Fountain of 4 guns
The fountain is so named from the dialect diction of the 4 tubes from
which flows the water that drains from the adjacent hills with suitable
culverts, is entered in the two underlying granite basins. This water,
fresh, in 1706 was drunk by the Prince Eugene of Savoy, passing
through Stradella.
Isimbardi Palace
Now the Town Hall in Stradella, for a short period Parini lived here and you still can appreciate
some Baroque frescoes. A fascinating staircase and the Chapel that is today the Culture Hall
a multimodal tourism fruition system proposal
The Naviglio Grande, and its territory, is the Milanese area that better allows to experience an activity of
multimodal tourism fruition by boat and bicycle.
On a large-scale, from Milan to Lonate Pozzolo through Abbiategrasso, we can identify two main sub areas in
which tourism offer can be differentiated:
the stretch from Milan to Abbiategrasso, characterized by widespread urbanization and of road and railway links
with Milan;
the stretch from Abbiategrasso to Lonate Pozzolo, a slow land, able to break away from neighboring urban
centers and to find in agricultural landscape its peculiarity landscaping.
In the following pages some suggestion of possible routes that are going to implement the existing ones with the
integration of bus, boat and bicycle.
Route dei fontanili
Route Camminando sull’acqua
LET 4 – Terre d’acqua e cascine
Route length: 28 Km
An itinerary into the Parco Agricolo Sud Milano ,
a land rich in water. Departure from Naviglio
Grande in Gaggiano (starting point of the circuit
the railway station in Gaggiano). The route runs
right away in an agricultural environment,
meeting the Chapel Madonna del Dosso,
Boscaccio Lake and the homonymous farm; it
continues to the lakes Carcana in Zibido San
Giacomo, where you can also see San Giacomo
Church and many agricultural landscapes. The
route also crosses several water meadows
between Zibido, Mairano and Noviglio than it
goes back to Gaggiano.
Route Abbiategrasso – Morimondo – Ozzero (PTRA Navigli)
Routes Naviglio Grande
Bernate Ticino – Boffalora Sopra Ticino
(km 5,41)
Boffalora Sopra Ticino – Magenta
(km 9,68)
Magenta – La Fagiana di Magenta
(km 12)
Magenta – Robecco sul Naviglio
(km 7,96)
Robecco sul Naviglio – Cassinetta di
Lugagnana (km 10,4)
Abbiategrasso – Cassinetta di Lugagnana
(km 11,6)